Rajarshi - The Origin

Rajarshi Vishvamitra was a king in ancient India. He was a valiant warrior and the great-grandson of a great king named Kusha. Vishvamitra ruled the earth, and this great-resplendent king ruled the kingdom for many thousands of years. The Puranas mention that only 24 Rishis since antiquity have understood the whole meaning of, and thus wielded the whole power of, the Gayatri Mantra. Sage Vishvamitra is supposed to be the first.

In one of the incidents in his life, he was left humiliated by a great saint Vasishta. He realized that the power obtained by penances was far greater than mere physical might. He renounced his kingdom and began his quest to become a greater rishi than Vasishta. He undertakes a fierce penance for one thousand years, after which Brahma names him a Rajarshi, or royal sage.

At this point, Indra, the king of Swarga attempts to break his tapasya by sending Menaka, the most beautiful apsara of his kingdom. After many years of self-control, Rajarshi awakes out of his reverie, and falls in love with her. He was completely kept in trust by Menaka before she finally tells him the truth of the plot and leaves back to Swarga. Rajarshi was deeply hurt by this incident of his life. His love and dedication is still considered as an epitome of intense and passionate feelings beyond estimation ; and beyond all boundaries of time......